Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoat Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
THE SONG OF SOLOMON
Chapter 8: The Gridlock
Ginny held her husband's hand tightly in her own as the two of them sat without a word in the magically enlarged car. She could hear the soft tapping of keys from Lily, who was lounging behind them with a computer. Ron was in the driver's seat bantering loudly with Hermione, who only paused to scream whenever the car veered or dipped into potholes concealed by the puddles of rain. Their words shot at each other in such rapidfire succession that they sounded like gibberish, despite the biting accuracy of said accusations that could only come from years of observation. Ginny chuckled and tuned them out.
The traffic around King's Cross was in chaos; no one had expected such a terrible storm after the brisk and sunny autumn morning. The car braked suddenly with a loud screech. Ron swore, Hermione shrieked, and she and Lily gasped. Harry however remained motionless, his eyes fixated on the waterdrops tumbling down the window, the blank face a stark contrast to the wildly racing pulse Ginny could feel under her palm.
She closed her fingers further, feeling the slight tremble of his skin, battling the demon that threatened to lash out from underneath. Rain always brought the worst of it, something that had been planted inside him during the war years. She had never asked what it was, just as Harry had never asked what caused her to sink into a corner of their room in the depth of the night, when her quill and Quidditch journal transformed into feathery touches and crisp voices that invaded her senses and unleashed her guilt. He would sit with her, enveloping her with his solid warmth and earthy scent, speaking in his baritone whisper until twilight came and her ghost was gone.
Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley were the symbols of Light because they had seen and defeated Darkness; more importantly, they had understood the temptation of it.
Yet Harry seemed more bothered by the rain on this day than usual; through the years his once ferocious tantrums had reduced to a quiet bemusement that, Ginny thought smiling inwardly, the children had quickly learnt to take advantage of. Al's departure must have been difficult for him; he had been quiet since they saw the train off on Platform 9¾, and had barely uttered a word through their lunch in the station. Watching Malfoy's son heading to Hogwarts probably did nothing to calm his nerves either, although Ginny caught a glimpse of Scorpius embracing his parents before boarding the train and she was taken by his smile, a toothy grin that was nothing like the smirk of his father.
Sometimes, things were so much more than what met the eye. She heaved a sigh and looked out her side of the window; they would just have to wait for this storm to pass, and all would be well again. Until the next one.
The rain was pouring down even more heavily than before. The traffic was a deadlock and the pavement was filled with scurrying pedestrians, their umbrellas proved utterly useless against the high winds. Ginny's attention was instantly drawn, however, to a couple squeezed just inside a narrow alley, shadowed but hardly discreet. Even through the beaded glass there was no question what the two were up to; the woman's back was pressed against the grey wall, her exposed thigh wound tightly against the waist of the man whose hips were pushing hard and fast against her. Her dark hair tangled with his light blond, his black cloak crumpled against the pale skin of her breast that was barely concealed by a torn top.
Ginny blushed slightly but instantly realized why the couple had captivated her interest. While the man was drenched like others on the street, the woman had remained dry despite the downpour; also, no one on the pavement showed any signs of noticing them. They were wizards and a muggle invisibility charm had been cast for privacy.
Just as Ginny looked away, her eyebrows lifted in amusement, a scene of that morning flashed through her mind. She frowned as her fingers searched for the button to lower the window. The thunderous drumming of raindrops against concrete and metal instantly drowned out the yells from Ron as she leaned to peer through the slit.
The couple was reaching the height of their pleasure; her lips were sealed tight against his, his fingers clutching her raven curls like a drowning man clinging on to his lifeline. Their bodies moved in frenzied unison, violent in its urgency, the rhythm becoming more erratic with each thrust until they tensed and froze, their heads slung back to face the weeping sky.
The man recovered first, but showed no trace of passion or tenderness in his movements. His body broke free from the woman in a vicious jerk before collapsing against the wall, the hands balled into tight fists. His profile was drawn to a grimace as it buried against the flesh on his forearms.
The woman acted neither repulsed nor irritated; instead, her hand reached towards him and her fingers combed repeatedly through his damp long hair. The motion was apparently customary for her; the touch was patient, its tempo steady as the will to endure his tempest. Ginny's suspicion was confirmed when the face turned towards the street; it only added to the astonishment of discovering warmth and courage in the soft round features, glowing resiliently like the sun against the stormy gloom of the alley.
Ginny rolled up the window and remained silent through the trip, heedless to the questions from Ron and later from Hermione as well. Her mind was filled with the visage of Mrs. Draco Malfoy, and she refused to invite ridicule to her antics, no matter how outrageous they could be.
Ginny didn't know why she felt that way, but as her eyes followed the dissipating clouds, she thought the other might understand. She inhaled and squeezed the hand inside her own.
The hand squeezed back.